Al-Qur'an diturunkan kepada Nabi Muhammad ﷺ secara berperingkat sepanjang dua puluh tiga tahun kenabiannya. Setiap kali timbul sesuatu masalah atau apabila Allah ingin memberikan nasihat khusus kepada Nabi ﷺ dan pengikutnya, Allah akan menghantar malaikat Jibril dengan sebahagian daripada Al-Qur'an, yang akan dibacakannya kepada Nabi ﷺ. Dengan itu, Al-Qur'an tidak diturunkan sekaligus dalam bentuk lengkapnya seperti kitab-kitab wahyu terdahulu, tetapi sedikit demi sedikit dalam tempoh masa yang panjang.

The Qur’aan was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) in sections throughout the twenty-three years of his prophethood. Whenever a problem arose or whenever Allaah wanted to give the Prophet (ﷺ) and his follower’s special advice, Allaah would send angel Jibreel with a part of the Qur’aan, which he would recite to the Prophet (ﷺ). Thus, the Qur’aan was not revealed all at once in its complete form like the earlier books of revelation, but in parts over a period of time.

Apabila Jibril pertama kali membacakan sebahagian daripada al-Qur'an kepada Nabi (ﷺ), Nabi (ﷺ) cuba mengulanginya selepas beliau, perkataan demi perkataan. Allah kemudian menyuruh Jibril memberitahu beliau supaya tidak berbuat demikian. Sebaliknya, beliau diperintahkan untuk mendengar al-Qur'an dengan teliti. Apabila Nabi (ﷺ) berbuat demikian, Allah menjadikan beliau mampu mengingati segala-galanya tanpa sebarang usaha daripada pihak beliau. Allah berfirman dalam al-Qur'an,

When Jibreel first recited a part of the Qur’aan to the Prophet (ﷺ), the Prophet (ﷺ) tried to repeat it after him, word for word. Allaah later had Jibreel tell him not to do so. He was told instead to listen to the Qur’aan carefully. When the Prophet (ﷺ) did that, Allaah caused him to be able to remember everything without any effort on his part. Allaah said in the Qur’aan,

Adalah sangat penting bagi Nabi ﷺ untuk mengingat segala yang diwahyukan kepadanya, kerana baginda tidak pandai membaca mahupun menulis.

It was very important that the Prophet (ﷺ) remember all that was revealed to him, because he could neither read nor write.

Nabi (ﷺ) telah menyampaikan seluruh Al-Qur'an kepada para sahabatnya sebelum baginda wafat. Baginda menggunakan beberapa cara yang berbeza bagi memastikan mereka menghafal dan merekodkannya tepat sebagaimana baginda mempelajarinya.

The Prophet (ﷺ) passed on all of the Qur’aan to his companions before he died. He used a number of different ways to make sure that they memorized and recorded it exactly as he learned it.

Nabi (ﷺ) biasa membaca dengan kuat bahagian-bahagian daripada al-Qur'an dalam solat-solat (solat berjemaah). Dengan cara itu, para pengikutnya mendengar bahagian-bahagian al-Qur'an setiap hari.69

1. The Prophet (ﷺ) used to recite aloud various parts of the Qur’aan in the salaahs (congregational prayers). In that way, his followers used to hear parts of the Qur’aan daily.69

Setiap orang yang memeluk Islam akan diajar bahagian-bahagian dari al-Qur'an yang perlu mereka gunakan dalam solat harian mereka. Oleh itu, orang Islam sentiasa belajar atau mengajar pelbagai bahagian al-Qur'an.

2. Everyone who entered Islaam would be taught parts of the Qur’aan that they would have to use in their daily prayers. Thus, Muslims were always learning or teaching various parts of the Qur’aan.

3. Nabi (ﷺ) memberitahu para pengikutnya bahawa yang terbaik di antara mereka ialah mereka yang mempelajari dan mengajarkan Al-Qur'an. Ini mendorong mereka untuk berusaha lebih gigih lagi menghafal Al-Qur'an dan mengajarkannya kepada orang lain.

3. The Prophet (ﷺ) informed his followers that the best of them were those who learned and taught the Qur’aan. This encouraged them to make even greater efforts to memorize the Qur’aan and teach it to others.

4. Mereka yang mampu membaca dan menulis telah diperintahkan oleh Nabi (r) supaya menulis bahagian-bahagian Al-Qur'an sebagaimana ia diturunkan. Nabi ﷺ akan memberitahu mereka susunan ayat-ayat yang sepatutnya dicatat. Al-Baraa' ibn 'Aazib meriwayatkan bahawa apabila ayat, "Orang-orang mukmin yang duduk (di rumah) tidak sama dengan orang-orang yang berjihad," diturunkan, Nabi ﷺ bersabda, "Panggil Si Fulan." Lelaki itu datang dengan sebuah tempat dakwat dan sekeping papan kayu atau tulang bahu. Nabi ﷺ bersabda, "Tulislah: 'Orang-orang mukmin yang duduk (di rumah) tidak sama dengan orang-orang yang berjihad pada jalan Allah...'"70

4. Those who were able to read and write were told by the Prophet (r) to write down the various sections of the Qur’aan as they were revealed. The Prophet (ﷺ) would tell them the order in which they should record the verses. Al-Baraa’ ibn ‘Aazib stated that when the verse, “Those believers who sit (at home) are not equal with those who strive,” was revealed, the Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Call So-and-so.” He came with an inkpot and a wooden board or a shoulder blade. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Write: ‘Those believers who sit (at home) are not equal with those who strive in the cause of Allaah...’ ”70

Oleh kerana pada zaman itu tiada kertas di Tanah Arab, al-Qur'an ditulis pada apa sahaja yang ada. Para sahabat menulis ayat-ayat al-Qur'an pada pelepah tamar, batu rata, kulit kayu, kayu, kulit haiwan yang dikeringkan, dan juga pada tulang bahu kambing biri-biri atau unta. Maka, ayat-ayat al-Qur'an terpelihara dalam hati kaum Muslimin, serta ditulis, semasa hayat Nabi ﷺ. Oleh kerana orang memeluk Islam pada peringkat-peringkat yang berbeza sepanjang misi Nabi ﷺ, hanya sebahagian kecil daripada mereka yang mendengar keseluruhan al-Qur'an secara langsung daripada Nabi ﷺ. Sebahagian sahabat dapat menghafal dengan lebih baik daripada yang lain. Maka, walaupun kesemua mereka menghafal sebahagian daripada al-Qur'an, hanya sebahagian kecil sahaja yang berjaya menghafal keseluruhan al-Qur'an semasa hayat Nabi ﷺ.

Because there was no paper in Arabia at that time, the Qur’aan was written down on anything that was available. The companions wrote the verses of the Qur’aan on date palm leaves, flat stones, tree bark, wood, dried animal skins, and even the shoulder blades of sheep or camels. Thus, the verses of the Qur’aan were preserved in the hearts of Muslims, as well as written down, during the lifetime of the Prophet (ﷺ). Since people entered Islaam at various points during the Prophet’s mission, only a few of them heard all of the Qur’aan directly from the Prophet (ﷺ). Some companions were able to memorize better than others. So, even though all of them memorized portions of the Qur’aan, only a few were able to memorize all of the Qur’aan during the Prophet’s lifetime.

Apabila Nabi (ﷺ) wafat pada tahun 632 M, keseluruhan al-Qur'an belum dihimpunkan dalam satu kitab yang lengkap. Ayat-ayatnya dicatat pada pelbagai bahan tulisan dan disimpan oleh para pengikut Nabi (ﷺ) yang berbeza. Setiap orang memiliki sebahagian daripadanya, tetapi tiada seorang pun yang memiliki keseluruhannya. Oleh sebab ayat-ayat al-Qur'an terus diturunkan sehingga beberapa bulan sebelum kewafatan Nabi (ﷺ), para sahabat lebih mengutamakan pencatatan dan penghafalan berbanding menghimpunkannya menjadi satu kitab. Oleh itu, penghimpunan al-Qur'an menjadi satu teks tidak dilakukan semasa hayat Nabi (ﷺ).

When the Prophet (ﷺ) died in the year 632 CE, the whole of the Qur’aan was not written down in one complete book. It was recorded on various pieces of writing material and kept in the possession of different followers of the Prophet (ﷺ). Each had sections, but none of them had all of it. Because of the fact that the verses of the Qur’aan continued to be revealed up until a few months before the Prophet’s death, the companions were more concerned with recording and memorizing than putting it all together in one book. Consequently, the gathering of the Qur’aan into one text was not done during the lifetime of the Prophet (ﷺ).

68 Surah al-Qiyamah (75):16-18.

68 Soorah al-Qiyaamah (75):16-18.

Ummu Hisyaam binti Haarithah meriwayatkan bahawa beliau menghafal Surah Qaaf semata-mata dengan mendengar Nabi ﷺ membacanya semasa khutbah pada hari Jumaat. (Sahih Muslim, jilid 2, m. 412, no. 1893-4.)

69 Umm Hishaam bint Haarithah reported that she memorized Soorah Qaaf simply from hearing the Prophet (r) recite it during the khutbah on Fridays. (Sahih Muslim, vol. 2, p. 412, nos. 1893- 4.)

70 Surah an-Nisa' (4):95. Hadis ini dikumpulkan oleh al-Bukhari, Sahih Al-Bukhari, jilid 6, hlm. 95, no. 118.

70 Soorah an-Nisaa’ (4):95. The hadeeth was collected by al-Bukhaaree, Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol. 6, p. 95, no. 118.